1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to semiconductors and more specifically to a method of manufacturing semiconductor components having interspaces filled with a gas to reduce capacitance of interconnects.
2. Description of the Related Art
The capacitance of interconnects is one of the limiting factors for the switching speed of integrated circuits on semiconductor chips. With smaller lateral dimensions, the spacings between the various interconnects also become smaller, so that the coupling capacitances between neighboring interconnects increase to the same extent. The capacitances between various metallization levels also play a part given higher integration density. Over and above this, the average interconnect length to be driven by a gate also increases, particularly in logic circuits with increasing integration density, so that either more powerful driver stages and/or a reduction of the supply voltage are required. Oxide that is applied by low-temperature CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) is usually utilized as intermetal dielectric (IMOX) in integrated circuits on silicon wafers.
GB Patent 22 47 986, EP 603 104 A1, EP 501 407 A1 and EP 393 635 disclose semiconductor components wherein interspaces that are filled with air or a gas are present between interconnects or metallizations to reduce the capacitances occurring between the interconnects. These interspaces are fashioned as trenches, cavities or honeycomb-like cells.